Timed cycle controller



June 6, 1950 H. B. ELLIS TIMED CYCLE CONTROLLER Filed June 18, 1946 2 She tsSheet -l 47 47 47 H J? if? f w? w fi w wa n W Wa M a n Mm wm U June 6, 1950 H. B. ELLIS 2,510,465

TIMED CYCLE CONTROLLER Filed June 18, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 1 I I I I 1 1.

Patented June 6, 1950 TMEDzGYGLECONTRQLLER,

Herbert B. Ellis'; LaCa'nada, Calif.-

Applications-11111618;1946, Serial'No. 677,632,

9 Claims. (Cl. 74 -53) v z poses, is shown mountedupon a supporting table or base iiL with supporting ends ,ll, and |;2,"and having on top two enduwalls, or bearingmembers, I3 and i4," shown in edge yiew in Fig. 1, and in end view in Figs. 2 and 3. A motor M is sho'wnmounted on said base!" with a reduction gear trainof ;We11jkn0wn a rangement, in the, ,vertical case or ,housing J Rotatably supported between,v said, end ,wai1sf 1. ll; ,and..l4 ,iare two shaft structures, ,ifiganol, l1, angi a each consisting of a shaft,;as 1 6 and.l f 'l', ha'ving. at their. driving ends ,tw'o. interlocking headsg as, l8 and {9, with interlocking pins, .as 20,,therebea} tween, to ifacilitate assembly. The upper shaft} 6 is provided;with'aseriesl 9f pairs of pain ,discs as, 2 l, 22; 23,12,4gand. 25, with? spacing and holding spools ZBItherobetwQen, -as will ibe understood from thelshowing, sothatsaidlj, dis'csare locked together as a unit toiturnwith the shaft I6; v

The lower shaft, 1' is providedgwitha seriesof a cam-.d S S, 2, M ami 31; SecU TQdiI -P 6=:- with spacing, spo o1s,r ,as .32;ftherebetween. Said ".1; cam .dis sare spaced and so. -related,tothe; discs on the shaft iifi' that uthey operate; onejg tween, .each pair, as clearly, indicated in'.F ig;1.;1. Th'egcamddiscs, on shaft. l 6',; areiprovided on, thil :4. edges, or aroundtheir, peripheries,,.with camlu s or portions of .differentcircumterential extent,,as.,, 33,;3fiL135; 3 6 and 31, these camsorhportions beingi., the same.- in .the,;present,showing. on alLdiscs, .-and those ,of each, pair being arrangedinlregister with is or opposite each other, asseen in Eig.. 1.

The camvdiscs 2-1,, 28, 29; 30 and .3 .l .areeach pro:- yided with .a cam slu -or portion desi nated11;, I, 28", 1295,13 0.; and '31 i,.respeotive1y,..,

The upper shaft I6 is provided .at oneends .itli; 5

a sma11.gear..;38, in mesh withta larger geariiigon shaft. I I71; allflasn clearlyvnillustratedi ,in' 1, whereby said. shafts j are driven, fromthe, ,gea r train lin the, housing] 5. It is to he understood, QQ J course,..that.thengearfltrain canbe fiHY,.dBSi1ZQdJ-: duc'tion, andthat the cam 1ugs ,or. port ions.can he 'Ihjs inventionr;- relates i; o-;-:im;provements in..-.I timed-cycle controllers, and more particularly-to a motor driven-mechanism; by-,;means;. of whichua pre-determined:function earr beprovided for, and utomatical y?),r iQrmed a p edeterm ed ---s teryals throughout-a. long'or shortiperiod of time, as may be desired.;:-; 7

While, mmrinvention can be desig-ned -iiory and 1 adapted to,-;;r1o st any;gparticuiar iunction toL be.- int rm t e blm r form siai 6 =p n es p anat i us rated t :in embodimen i r signed to control sp systema or irrigating? systems, and, as one p actical embodiment in this field, I have illustrated-it fbr controlling pressure valves \whichin .turmcontrol sprinkler or irrigate l5 ing valves. I

Amongitheisalient,objects of my inventionarezto providejin a .ti dl-cycleieontrol{mechanism means .mechajnicallyjpperated which can, Joe "are. rangedto :perfor-mm particular function ifor, ,a .20 fin t p ri d-70f timefl-asif r a n m er of 2 1 utes; one; or .moretimes pen day,-.;0rl,one. or mor timesipernweek orpenmonth, or, even .191 .a seav son, thus, making. it most valuable iortlawn sprin .7 kling or foi' irrigating purposes,,Wheresuch SBIV: ice is to be, automatically, and .pe riodically pere formed,. without any, manua1,. =attent ion whatso ever;-to provide sin suchia timedecycLe-vcontroh mechanism-,meansiwhereby. it can .be-iexpanded to function-for, long periods-4, of time: as ,ior, months, season -or-;yearl-y; if desired 'In other words,,- I have provided a timed cycle controlr-mechanism, capable ongreatacapacityiin a longer orcshorter cycle period-withsuch-intermittent, short periods of operatiomasimayyhe desired.

In order to explain my invention, I haveillusle trated one embodiment thereon on theiaccomepan-ying two sheets ofairawjngsgvhiehwill now. d scmh I Figure this a siderelevationgof atimede ciycleicona trol mechanism embodying myr, invention ass, adaptedefor sprinkler ,or irriga tinasystems;r

F ure. isa v t al-sect onal,viewtaken on thee-line-;2-.-.-2 of-Eig. 1,;

different positions m Figure 2 4 is Fa verticahsectional viemtaken on theseetionhne i ,4o -zE s--, ;v-r

Figure-5 is a plan viewrof a d ta lw-anaactuates ing member; I

tionspfpna l n r 265791 ner qdua raneem ti efini -nowinfi tailz b.th d awinss.:myline ,viQW zS W n JhepD fl i 'formancedesired, and according to thel-lengthpf so Figures .6, land/8L show. a modifiedzarrangement of t eid venrontr memberslin-d ferent miQ -Masshre, embbdiedei ree p anator ru al 05 of any desired number, circumferential;extents;I, or spacin accordin /to the intermittent, per- 7 thatycle periodorperiods desired., l,-v

On; the 1mdler id .v o said ta l rso baseuifl; sga

2, 3 and. 4- .,Two b l xy ;a ra d, i fitia e;

shown on the outer sides of said diaphragm members 4| and 42, and these ball valves are connected with an operating stem or rod 41, extending through a passageway 41, connecting said chambers 43 and 44, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, said ball valves being normally confined in two chambers, as 45 and 46', whereby to be moved slightly in opposite directions together to press the diaphragms 4| and 42 into the opposite ends of the passageway 41, and whereby to direct Water into or out of said chambers 43 and 44, and again referred to. It will be understood that there is a series of said passageways 41, spaced along the length of said body, with a corresponding series of ball valves and stems, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Connected with said housing 46 is a supply pipe 48, Fig. 1, from a source of water supply for directing water into said housing and to said chambers 43 and 44. There is also connected with said housing, at its other end, a drain pipe 49, to provide drainage from said chambers 43 and 44. The supply pipe 48 is connected with the chamber 44, by a, bore and port, as at 48', while the drain pipe 49 is connected with the chamber 43, by a bore and port, as 49', as will be understood from Figs. 2, 3 and 4.

Said series of ball valves, with their operating stems, are provided with operating extensions, or members, as 50, 5|, 52, 53 and 54, as seen in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, supported in a suitable guide member 55, across one side of said housing 40, as seen in Fig. 4, and in section in Figs. 2 and 3. At the lower ends of said ball valve stems and ball valves are coiled springs, as 56, for normally raising said ball valves and stems, as seen in Fig. 2.

Connected with said main body or housing 46, to be supplied with water under pressure for operating different pressure controlled valves (not shown) is a series of pipe connections, as 51, 58, '59, 66 and 6|, as seen in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. These pipes lead to diiferent sprinkler valves at distant locations and are connected to operate pressure valves for different sprinkler valves controlled thereby, whereby said sprinkler valves can be opened to start the sprinkling system.

Mounted between each pair of cam discs, 2| to 25 inclusive, as shown in Fig. l, and transversely between the upper shaft structure l6 and the lower shaft structure H, are valve actuating members, designated 62, and shown as composed of a plurality of spring leaves secured together in the top of an arched member 63, as indicated in Fig. 5, and seen in position in Figs. 2 and 3. Each of said arched members 53 has two cross pins, as 64 and 65, the pin 65 in each case being longer and extending beyond the opposite sides 63, as seen clearly in Fig. 5.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, one of these valve operating members is shown in two difierent positions. Each member is free between its pair of discs, in a floating condition, with the outer end of the longest spring leaf fitting over the top of a valve extension, as 62, whereby to press downwardly on said valve extension, as in Fig. 3. In the position shown in Fig. 2, the member 62 is shown at rest. The cam disc 3| is turning counter-clockwise. Its cam portion 3| passes under cross pin 65, and engages under cross pin 64 and said member 62, as seen in Fig. 3. In the meantime, the cam lug 31 has moved over cross pin 65, and forms a bearing therefor so that the lift on pin 64, or pressure on pin 65, forces the end of the springs 62 down on the valve extension 53, as seen in Fig. 3. The timing of the rotation of the cam disc 3|, and the rotation of the discs 25, with their spaced cam lugs, can be such that the desired intermittent pressing of the ball valves 45 and 46 can be had.

Referring to Figs. 6, 7 and 8, I have added an additional valve-operating spring member. In Fig. 6, instead of one spring member 62, I have shown a spring member 66, in the arched member 61, with the cross pins 68 and 69, and instead of the spring end being connected with a valve, it is bent to a hook I0, and is shown hooked on to a cross pin H, in an inverted arched member 12, with the second cross pin 13, and having the leaf springs 14 in its bottom, the longer spring 14' being placed under the end of a valve stem, as at T5, to function with an upward movement, instead of a downward movement, as in Fig. 3.

The spring member 14, in its inverted condition, floats between a pair of discs, as 16, having a cam lug or portion 11, of any desired length circumferentially, and can be driven at any desired speed by shaft 18, from the gear train, before referred to.

Thus, in combination with revolving cam discs. having cam lugs or portions around their peripheries for controlling or causing the predetermined intermittent action, I have provided the operating members, as 62 in Figs. 2 and 3, and 66 and 14 in Figs. 6, '7 and 8, said operating members operating, in the present showing, valve extensions, as 53 and 53, but which can be broadly referred to as functioning members to be moved by the operating members.

Use and operation The use and operation of the invention may be briefly described as follows:

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, we will assume that the discs 2|, 22, 23, 24 and 25 are connected and geared to make one complete revolution every twenty-four hours, and that the discs 21, 28, 29, 30 and 3| are geared to make one complete revolution per week; that the operating member 62 therebetween is held and positioned to be acted upon by the cam lugs or portions on said cam discs 25 and 3|, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3. We will also assume that the cam lug or portion 3| on cam disc 3| is of circumferential extent equal approximately to one seventh of the circumference, or one day. It can be made longer or shorter, or more than one cam lug or portion can be formed on said disc, as may be desired for the job to be done. It is also to be understood that the cam lugs or portions 33 to 31 inclusive, on cam discs 25 (and the other discs of the series) can be spaced as may be necessary for the job to be done. v

In the showing, cam lug 3|, from the position shown in Fig. 2, has moved under the pin 65 on the operating member 62, and has moved under the cam pin 64, where it acts as a support or fulcrum for said pin 64 for, say one day. During this time, as the spaced cam lugs on discs 25 come around to pin 65, as seen in Fig. 3, the operating member will be depressed and the valve mechanism operated to direct water from the supply pipe 48, through chamber 44 and to and out through passage 40 to pipe 6| leading to the pressure valve to be actuated to open a particular sprinkler head. During the time the cam lug 3| is under pin 64, the different cam lugs on discs 25, will actuate said operating member 62 and the actuating member 53, whatever it may actuate. The cam lugs 0n the discs 25, being of different extents, will hold the operating member down, as in Fig. 3, for the corresponding period air-fences Thus-,-.with a cam-'1discasuchiasvt irevolvingionce a week, and camidises; ithfplural cam' portionsfof different extents andfferiently spaced; it willbel'seen that the operating member 52 can-be actuated as may befpredetermined said' cam portionst'g to function intermittently over a longer period of time, as for a season, orpossibly for a year, in Figs. 6, 7 and '8,"I have'shown an additional cam. L disc; :as: 6; fiwith -1cam:i1ug;;:or z.1-.portion l 1 T This cam disc would be geared to" make onescomer. plete revolutionduring the predetermined period, whether during the summer months or during a and intermittent-1y ,caccordirrgeto vthe'lugs 101%; cam i:

In order to make it possible for the mechanism.v

l lifunctiol'is scam disc's' having cam' klugs aroundxfheiriperiph'u r 6 the camilugs onxthe other disc successivel-y engage and move said "operating .memberai 3.51m a .mechanism of" thecharacter referrede to, parallel shafts having 11 cam-discs thereon, ssaid' year asi'may. be desired. This is in additionto' the'lmechanism"Just' describeohi?- In. this mech'a i nismxth'ei operatingmember" 6 6 instead Offbeing-i sttaight'fas'jinlFigTZ, is formed." into: a hdoktandi connects with another 'operatingimember.TMJtbyii its pin 1l,said"latter"member 'H'being reversed: j asf beforedescribe'd, and functioningwithian up; ward" movement, 'as" indicated in"Fig. 8, as the various cam lugs, or: portions; arerevolved and come into-.position to action-the. pins 68 and- 69 onroperating member fifieandfcamepins Hand :13 on operating member 14. The positions of the different cam lugs on these Figs. 6, 7 and 8, will indicate how they function. In Fig. 6, cam lug 11, on disc 16 is moving under pin 13, as seen in Fig. 7, and will remain thereunder for such period as the extent of the cam lug 11 determines. As cam discs and 3| function, as before described and as seen in Fig. 8, operating member 66 will be operated to operate the operating member 14, as indicated to actuate the functioning member 53 with an upward movement, instead of a downward movement as in Figs. 2 and 3. It will be evident that the cam lugs or portions on the cam discs I6, 31 and 25 can be arranged as may be desired for predetermining just how long, and how often, and over what extended period of time the mechanism will automatically function, whether for a sprinkling, or an irrigating system, or for some other function which it is desired to have performed intermittently and over a predetermined period of time.

I do not, therefore, limit my invention to the particular details of construction and arrangement shown for explanatory purposes, or to the number or extent of the cam lugs or portions on the difierent cam discs, or to the specific form of operating member shown, this mechanism being for illustrative purposes, but what I claim as my invention is the following.

I claim:

1. In a timed cycle controller a disc having cam lugs around its periphery, a cooperating disc having a cam lug on its edge, an operating member movably interposed between said discs to be intermittently actuated by said cam lugs, means for driving said discs at predetermined speeds, the

cam lug on one disc intermittently forming a fulcrum for said operating member and the cam lugs on the other disc intermittently engaging and moving said operating member.

2. In a timed cycle controller: a disc having cam lugs around its periphery, a cooperating disc having a cam lug on its edge, an operating member movably interposed between said discs to be intermittently actuated by said cam lugs, means for driving said cam discs at difierent speeds, whereby the cam lug on one disc intermittently forms a fulcrum for said operating member, and

.;rnember, and the' camlugsron thef-other disc'suc 4. Irf' a mechanism \1 of: "thee character *referredrs-L to, a pair of iparallcl fshafts geared together .3130 be driven at 1 differentwspeeds; scooperatingxcam: discson said sha'ftsi.saidteamdiscs having: 0

mltheir' peripheries: cam lugs, .an' .0perating member-z.-

movably 1 held between: said shafts; transversely C thereof-and having spaced portions to be engaged. bysaid'camlugssfrom opposite sides; whereby'one Lil lug functions .asla fulcrumfor said. operating? cessively engaging said operating; members and moving it onits 'f-ulcrlumpand a. functioningsmem-aa ber -connecte'd with' and moved by said operatinge: member.

5. In a mechanism of the character referred to, in combination: two parallel shafts with means for driving them at different speeds, said shafts each having a disc with a cam portion on its edge, an operating member movably supported between said discs, transversely of said shafts, and having thereon spaced portions to be engaged by said cam portions for operatively moving said operating member, one of said cam portions functioning as a fulcrum for said operating member and the other cam portion engaging and moving said operating member operatively on said fulcrum.

6. In a mechanism of the character referred to, in combination: two parallel shafts, means for driving them at different predetermined speeds, one of said shafts having thereon a pair of spaced discs having cam portions on their edges, the other shaft having thereon a disc positioned to move between said pair of discs on said first shaft and having a cam portion on its edge, an operating member supported transversely between said shafts and between the pairs of spaced discs and having thereon portions to be engaged by the cam portions on all of said discs for operatively moving said operating member.

7. In a mechanism of the character referred to, in combination: two parallel shafts, means for driving them at different predetermined speeds, one of said shafts having thereon a pair of spaced discs having cam portions spaced around their edges to function in pairs, the other shaft having a disc positioned between the pair of discs on said first shaft and having on its edge a cam portion of predetermined circumferential extent, an operating member supported transversely between said shafts and between the pair of spaced discs on one shaft and having portions to be engaged by said cam portions on all of said discs to functionally move said operating member.

8. In a mechanism of the character referred to, in combination: two shafts, means for driving them at different predetermined speeds, one of said shafts having therein a plurality of pairs of cam discs, said cam discs having cam portions around their edges, the cam portions of each pair being opposite each other, the other shaft having thereon a plurality of cam discs positioned one between each pair of cam discs on said first shaft and having cam portions on their edges, an operating member movably supported between each pair of cam discs on one shaft with its operating end extended outwardly from between said pair of discs and said shafts, said operating member having longitudinally spaced cam-engaging elements thereon to be engaged by the cam portions on each pair of cam discs and the cam disc therebetween for operatively moving said operating member, and a functioning member to be operated by said operating member.

9. In a mechanism of the character referred to, in combination: two shafts, means for driving them at different predetermined speeds, one of said shafts having thereon a plurality of pairs of spaced cam discs having cam portions spaced around their edges, the cam portions of each pair being opposite each other, the other shaft having thereon a plurality of cam discs positioned one between each pair of cam discs on said first shaft and having cam portions on their edges of circumferential extent, an operating member of U-shape in cross section and having a flexible, transversely extending operating portion between said shafts, the U-shaped body portion of each operating member being held one between each pair of cam discs, cam-engaging pins across said U-shaped body portion, positioned to be engaged by the cam portions on said cam discs, from opposite sides, whereby to operatively move said operating member, and a functioning member connected for actuation by said flexible, transversely extending operating portion of said operating member.

HERBERT B. ELLIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,312,328 Johannson Aug. 5, 1919 1,408,781 Sewell Mar. 17, 1922 1,624,269 Marchetti Apr. 12, 1927 1,745,707 Perett Feb. 4, 1930 2,169,039 Defandorf et al Aug. 8, 1939 2,240,163 Pick Apr. 29, 1941 2,437,401 Nilson Mar. 9, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 264,396 Great Britain 1927 

